Bad Habbits

[glingglo]

you might find that your instructor is happy to be more critical of your technique, as long as you let him know you're comfortable with it. i always ask my instructors to critique me and push me as much as possible because i can take it. i'm into working tiny details and i like my teachers to be picky.

 

and as far as promoting students with less-than-great technique. i'm not supporting the mcdojo/belt factory thing, but: some students take much longer than others to refine their technique, and some (let's face it) will never be great martial artists. that doesn't mean that they haven't earned the right to test and advance. for example - imagine that you're older, out of shape and not very coordinated and you've spent 9 months working on white belt techs that take most students 4-6 months to get. you've got them down pretty well, but not nearly as well as the 18 year old athletic kid next to you. how much longer are you going to stay with it before you get discouraged and bored and quit? students like this need to be able to advance enough that they stick with the program. eventually, their techs WILL get better - but only if they stick with martial arts long enough for that to happen.

[Dijita]

At our dojo (It's a Kyokushin style), it appears that achieving your belt is farily easy up until blue and yellow belt. The instructor for the most part won't test you if he thinks you need work. The nice thing with our dojo is that our instructer writes up a fairly thorough evaluation explaing your stregnths, weaknesses, and what needs to be worked on. I think that's preety unique and a lot of dojos do not seem to take the time to do this.

[Mr.Man]

I understand very well what you are talking about Steve. I have been taking TKD for 2 yrs now and I'm pretty sick of it. I feel like I am not being taught much anymore and therefore really not going anywhere. The way our dojang is run seems to be geared towards kids. Nobody is really challenged much and 90% of the classtime is focused on the lower belts. Then when I see the kids who won't even make an effort to stretch or warm-up like the rest of us getting their next belt when they can't even do one technique properly, it makes me feel like it's all a big joke. My wife and I are starting at a different club and different art now. I feel bad because I like the instructor as a person and he counts on us to help in class BUT........ I pay the same dues as everyone else and I feel that I'm not getting my money's worth anymore. Besides that I just plain feel that what we learn is just simply useless as far as practical self-defense so I have to move on. Good Luck

[tommarker]

Steve,

 

I think we all have these thoughts from time to time. But at times, you just have to stop worrying about others and what standard they are being judged at and worry about your OWN training.

 

At green belt, you stop seeing as many new things (you've seen just about everything) and you have to make the decision to keep training, or try to find something new. Keeping in mind that after 6 months, it won't be new anymore either. You know what I mean?

 

I'm not saying your school doesn't have any problems, or that your teacher is going easy on some people, etc because I'm not there. I think what I'm saying is that you're just at one of those levels in training where you start to wonder about what you've been doing so far.

 

Everything you need is out there, you might not get it at the rate you want or think you need. A lot of people think that they "get it" when they clearly don't. I get lots of gup students who seem to say "yeah, yeah, I know... you told me already." and I say "ok, SHOW me you know."

 

Now you might be tempted to go out and try something new to add to what you're already learning. And it might help you connect the dots faster, just hearing it from someone else. Who knows.... You're learning things now that will take years to really GET.

 

I'm done rambling now...

[Mc. Steve]

I've decided, I'm going to stick with the two classes and perhaps look for a non-striking art as well. I wasn't trying to say I think my instructor has taught me all he can, or that my techniques are in any way perfected, quite the opposite. I guess I've just found the limit of what I can perform relatively well.

 

I will ask for more critism, but there is only so much time an instructor can spend on one student in a class of 20. It was just abit of a shock finding out I'm not the martial artist I thought I was as this road wont be an easy one.

 

I'm not sure how much sence I just made coz I'm very tired. Meh. Bed

 

[tommarker]

Steve,

 

I know it sounds like a dodge when I say something like "you just need to practice more!" but it is in fact true.

 

Hang a plastic ball (do they have whiffle balls in the UK?) from a string and practice your kicks with it. Start with a level a little lower than your ability and work all of your kicks at that level until you can hit the ball 10 out of 10 times. You don't have to clobber the ball every time. Try just being able to touch it, etc. Try to emulate Master Khan's diagonal kick!

 

You sounds like you're on the verge that many green belts are at. You either improve, seemingly overnight, and continue, or you give up. One day, something in class will click and you'll be surprised.

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

[Mc. Steve]

A little lower than my ability you say? I'll be stamping on it then I've got a bag up so I'll practive my left roundhouse's and back kick on that. Umm, diagonal kick... like a side? Picture/movie link pls.

[tommarker]

Bit Cha Ki.

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/10686334/10686588qrxpCWzuXx

 

or

 

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=11742&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=diagonal+kick&start=20

 

page down a little.

[Mc. Steve]

That-un. Never actually been taugh it in class, but had a TKD friend describe it to me. Just seems real weird. Like an inside to outside roundhouse :S

[tommarker]

it is a weird kick, but once you can do it, it is awesome. Like I said, Master Khan does an excellent one, but he is an amazing technician.